Combination syringe vial and plunger and syringe



R. W. OGLE July 11, 1967 COMBINATION SYRINGE VIAL AND PLUNGER AND SYRINGE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 25, 1964 INVENTOR 65667' //l/.

July 11, 1967 R, w, OGLE 3,330,280

COMBINATION SYRINGE VIAL AND PLUNGER AND SYRINGE Filed Aug. 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 b 3,388,288 Patented July 11, 1967 'United States Patient @ffice 3,338,280 COMBINATION SYRINGE VIAL AND PLUNGER a AND SYRINGE Robert W. Ogle, Phoenix, Ariz., assignor to Duo-Matic Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 392,057 6 Claims. (Cl. 12S-218) This invention relates to a combination syringe vial and plunger and a syringe and more particularly to a syringe having a hollow vial adapted to contain a medicament which may be either in liquid or powder form, a syringe barrel which may also contain a liquid, a stopper separating the two and means for communicating the vial and the barrel when desired.

It is an object of this invention to provide a syringe as above-described in which incompatible liquids or powders can be stored and mixed only immediately before use. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a syringe combination which is economical, easy to assemble and easy to use.

These and other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the annexed specification in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view partly in section with parts broken away for clarity of illustration showing a syringe embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken vertically through the device shown in FIGURE l along the lines 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section similar to FIGURE 2 showing the device in a ditferent position;

FIGURE 4 is a section taken along the line 4 4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective elevation of the plastic insert and cap;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical section of a modification of the present invention;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 showing the device in a different position;

FIGURE 8 is a section taken along the line 8 8 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 9 is a side View of a modied plug.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a syringe having a barrel 10, a boss 11 on one end thereof in which 4is cemented a cannula or needle 12. A needle sheath 13 is provided having a portion having an internal diameter which is smaller than the external diameter of the needle 12 so that the needle is received in the end -of this sheath with a press fit and securely sealed. The sheath 13 further has a portion 14 which is received upon the boss 11 with a press t and again securely seals the needle. All of the foregoing is conventional. A glass vial 15 is provided closed at its upper end 16 and adjacent its lower end it is provided with reduced section 17 and a threaded section 18. The reduced portion 17 is hollow and provides an opening 19.

An elastomeric plug 20 is provided and is positioned within the barrel 10. Plug 20 has a small central bore 21 extending upwardly therein. The plug 26 is provided with a flange 22 which has a press t with the internal diameter of the barrel 10. The plug 20 also has a ring 23 which also has a press fit with the internal diameter of the barrel 1t) and finally, there is an enlarged portion 24 which also has a press i'lt as above. The interior of the plug 20 is hollow and is provided with a recessed section 25 forming a flange 26 at the upper end and a shoulder 27 at the lower end. A plastic insert 28 is provided in the plug seating in the recess and against the flange 26 and shoulder 27. The plastic insert has a pair of threads 29 extending internally at the lower end thereof adapted to mate with the threads 18 on the glass vial 15. At the upper end of the insert 28 internal flange 30 is formed which acts as a stop to prevent complete unscrewing of the vial from the plastic insert 28.

The plug 2l]` is provided with a central upstanding post 31 having a pair of sealing rings 31a cast thereon which seal the post 31 to the interior of a vial insert 32 shown in perspective in FIGURE 5. The plastic insert 32 has a flange 33 at the bottom thereof, a cylindrical portion 34, a portion 35 having a series of ridges 36 extending longitudinally thereof and a further cylindrical portion 37. The insert 32 is seated in the reduced section of the vial 15 and the flange 33 is seated on the plug 20. The bore 21 extends through the post 31 as clearly shown in FIGURE 2. It will be noted that insert 32 internally at midway is provided with a web 38 having cast thereon a tit 39 and a series of slots 4i) are cut therein. Shown in FIGURE 2 in its seated position is a cap 41 which is shown removed in FIGURE 5. This cap is in the form of a flanged cylinder having a closed bottom 42, which cap is seated Vin the closed position within the upper end of the insert 32 and held therein by a press lit being positioned by flange 43. The foregoing describes all of the mechanism involved in the first embodiment of the present invention. The operation of the above device is as follows:

Assuming the vial 15 to be loaded either with a powder or a liquid which is incompatible with the liquid which is contained in the barrel 10, the contents of the vial are isolated from the contents of the barrel during storage and prior to use by reason of the fact that the plug 20 seals with the interior walls of the barrel 1G as above-explained and that the tit 39 plugs the bore 21 in the plug 26, thereby precluding any possibility of either the uid in the barrel 1) escaping either out of the barrel or communicating through bore 21 into the vial 15.

When it is desired to mix the contents of the barrel 10 Vand the vial 15 the user will make one full turn counterclockwise of the vial 15 which backs the vial 15 off into the position shown in FIGURE 3. It will be clearly noted that the tit 39 has thereby been removed from the bore 21 of the plug 20. As shown by the arrows in FIGURE 3, fluid is then free to pass through bore 21 into the space thus created between the web 38 and the top of the post 31. From there, as shown by the arrows, the uid can be communicated through the slots 49 upwardly. Downward pressure on the vial 15 will create pressure against the cap 41 suicient to dislodge the same upwards into the vial 15. This opens communication between the fluid in barrel 10 and the contents of the vial 15. When plug 20 reaches the bottom of barrel 10 it will be obvious that all of the fluid of barrel 10 has now been transferred upwardly into vial 15. At this point the user by shaking can fully commingle the Huid of barrel 10 and the either/or powder or liquid of vial 15. The user then by pulling upward on vial 15 returns said Vial and plug assembly to its original position, thus transferring the commingled medicaments completely to barrel 10. The user then with a clockwise motion screws vial 15 which returns it to its closed position wherein the tit 39 reenters the bore 21 of the plug 20, thus sealing the plug 2t) and no longer permitting the contents of barrel 10 to communicate 4with the interior of vial 15.

' and it is intended to cover herein all such It is noted that in the operations above-described the sheath 1:1 has been entirely left in its position where it seals the needle 12. This has permitted the building up of suiiicient pressure to eject the cap 41 and permit only communication `of the iiuid in barrel into the vial 15 with no escapage from the needle end. The sheath 1l is removed and simply Iby downward pressure on the vial the medicament is injected into the patient. It willrbe Vnoted that the plastic insert 32 is provided with a series Vtion in which most of the parts bearing similar numbers are identical withl the parts disclosed in FIGURES l through 5, the diierences in this case being that the insert 32 in this case has been divided in two, the lower portion of which is identical in that it has a liange 33a, a cylindrical portion 34a, a-Web 38a, slots 40a and a tit 39a;

In addition there is embodied as shown in FIGURE 6 a plastic plug 50 which has twoV sealing ribs 51, 52, the dimensions of which in combination with the dimensions of the shortened insert 42a provide a dead air barrier 53,

thus providing for a complete separation between any and all components involved therein.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURE 9, there is shown a modified version of the plastic plug50a in which a section 54 is provided having a plurality of ridges 55 comparable to and for the same purpose as the ridges 36 of insert 32 in the first embodiment.

As noted in FIGURE 7 the plastic plug 50 will be ejected inV substantially the same manner as the plastic plug 41 was expelled in the previous embodiment.

While there have been described what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the lpresent invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modications can be made therein` without departing from the essence of the invention changes and modifications as come within the true spirit and scopeof the appended claims. f

I claim:

i1. In a syringe of the type comprising a barrel, a needle projecting into and from said barrel, and a plunger in said barrel the improvement comprising: a vial having a closed Y end and an open end; said vial having threads adjacent its open end; an insert seated in said open end of said vial comprising a substantially cylindrical member having an outer flange Vand an open inner end; said insert being provided with spaced longitudinal ridges leaving longitudinal passages therebetween, said ridges and passages being mounted on the exteriormid-portion of said insert and engaging the interior of the open end of the vial; said insert having a web spanning its inner cavity; said web having at least one opening therein and an outwardly extending tit; an ejectable Yplug fitted in the innerV end of saidrinsert; an elastomeric plug in said barrel hav- Y ing female threads receiving the threads on s-aid vial and Ya bore in said plug arranged to `receive and to be closed by said tit, said tit moving out of said bore upon unscrewing of said vial; said plug comprising said plunger; said barrel having a boss; said needle projecting' through said boss anda needle sheath seating on and sealing against said 4boss and receiving the open end of said needle with a press it to seal said open end of said needle.

3. In a syringe of the type comprising a barrel, a needle projecting into and from said barrel; and a plunger in said barrel the improvcment'comprising: a vial having a closed end and an open end; said vial having threads adjacent its open end; an insert seated in said open end of saidV vial comprising a substantially cylindrical member having an outer flange and an open inner end; said insert being provided with spaced longitudinal ridges leaving longitudinal passages therebetween, said ridges and passages being mounted on the exterior mid-portion of said insert and engaging the interior of the'open end of the vial; said insert having a web spanning its inner cavity; said web having at least one opening therein and an outwardly extending tit; an ejectable plug iitted in the inner end of said insert; an elastomeric plugin said barrel; a

substantially rigid generally cylindrical insert in said plug having female threads receiving the threads on said vial longitudinalV passagestherebetween, said ridges and passages being mounted on the exterior mid-portion of said insert and engaging the interior of the open end of the vial; said insert having a web spanning its inner cavity;

saidweb having at least one opening therein and an Voutwardly extending tit; an ejectable plug fitted in the inner.

Y end of said insert; an elastomeric plug in said barrel having female threads receiving the threads on said vial and a bore in said-plug arranged to receive and to be closed by said tit, said tit moving 4out of said bore upon unscrewing of Vsaid vial; saidV plug comprising said plunger.V

V2. In a syringe ofthe type comprising a barrel, a needle projecting into and from said barrel, and a plunger-in said lbarrel the improvement comprising: a vial having a closed end and an open end; said Vvial having threads adjacent its open end; an insert Yseated in saidY open end of said vial comprising a substantially cylindrical member having an outer iiange and an open inner end; said insert being provided with spaced longitudinal ridges leaving and a lbore in said plug arranged to receive and to be closed by Ysaid tit, said tit moving -out of said bore upon unscrewing of said vial; said plug'comprising said plunger.

4. In a syringe ofthe type comprising a barrel, a needleV projecting into and from said barrel, and a'plunger in said barrel the improvement comprising: a vial having a closed end` andan open end; said vial having threads adjacent its open end; an insert seated in said open end of said vial'comprising a substantially cylindrical member hav-V ing an outer iiange andV an open inner end; said insert being provided with spaced longitudinal ridges leaving longitudinal passages therebetween, said ridges and passages being mounted-on the exterior mid-portion of said insert and engaging the interior of the open end of the Y' vial; said inserthaving a web spanning'itsinner cavity;

said web having at least one opening therein and an out-V` wardly extending tit; `an ejectable plug fitted in the inner endvof said insert; an elastomeric plug in'said barrel;-a

' substantially rigidV generally cylindrical insert in said plug having female threads receiving the threads on said vial and a bore in said plug arranged to receive and to be closed-by said tit, said tit moving out of said'bore upon unscrewing of said vial; said plug comprisingsaid plunger;

said barrel having a boss; said needle projecting through said lboss and a needle sheath seating on andV sealing against said boss and receiving the'open end of said needle with a press lit to seal said open'end of said needle.

5.V In a syringe of the type comprising Ya barrel,'a needle barrel, anda plunger in said projecting into and from said barrel the' improvement comprising: -a vvial having a closed endvand an open end; said vial having threadsadjacent its open end; an insert seated in said open end of said vial comprising a substantially cylindrical member having an outer ange'and an open inner end; said insert being provided with spaced longitudinal ridges leaving longitudinal passages therebetween, said ridges and pas'- sages'being mounted on the exterior mid-portion of said insert and engaging the interior of the open en'd of the vial; said insert having a web `spanning its inner cavity; said web having at least one opening therein and an outwardly extending tit; an ejectable plug in said vial adjacent to but spaced from said insert. Y

6. A Vial for -use in a syringe comprising a generally References Cited tubular member having `a closed end and an open end; UNITED STATES PATENTS an insert 1n said open end; said insert belng generally 7 cylindrical and having an outer flange but having a cen- 1,799,463 4/1931 Hem 1255*"20 tral section provided With a plurality of spaced, longi- 5 2,841,145 7/1958 EPPS 12S-218 tudinally extending ridges having longitudinal passages ila/'279 1/1965 Towns 21S-56 therebetween, said ridges land passages engaging the in- FOREIGN PATENTS terior of the open end of the vial; a web spanning the interior of said tubular member, said web having at least 943323 12/1963 Great Bmam one opening therein and an outwardly extending tit on 10 RICHARD A, GAUDET, Primary Examiner. said Web; and an ejectable plug fitted in the inner end of Said tubular membe 1 D. L. BAKER, Asszszznt Exrzmznez. 

6. A VIAL FOR USE IN A SYRING COMPRISING A GENERALLY TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END; AN INSERT IN SAID OPEN END; SAID INSERT BEING GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL AND HAVING AN OUTER FLANGE BUT HAVING A CENTRAL SECTION PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RIDGES HAVING LONGITUDINAL PASSAGES THEREBETWEEN, SAID RIDGES AND PASSAGES ENGAGING THE IN- 